Story of the Chavez Family

When Patty was pregnant, she was assured there was little chance that her little girl would be born deaf—even though her husband, Jesus, was profoundly deaf. But when Sammy was born, she failed her newborn hearing screening—and the tests in the weeks after. Patty was devastated—although she is a teacher, she knew nothing about raising a deaf child.
But her mother-in-law did—and she told Patty to bring Sammy to John Tracy Clinic. Quickly, Patty and Jesus embraced the services offered to her at JTC. Sammy received hearing aids, Patty learned how to talk with Sammy, and Jesus started signing with his daughter, too.
Sammy started in our preschool just after her second birthday. Soon, she was communicating with everyone around her—in three languages. When Echo Horizon School, a prestigious Los Angeles private school that mainstreams deaf children, opened their application process for 2013-2014, Sammy applied—and was rewarded with a full scholarship!
Patty and Jesus couldn’t be prouder of all that Sammy has achieved. Patty says, “JTC showed me how good our life could be. JTC gave me wings, now we start flying!”